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Tuesday, 11 November 2008
Swedish company myFC AB have come up with a potentially revolutionary technology called the FuelCellSticker, which not only miniaturizes fuel cells, but makes them flexible. This allows for creative cell positioning and enables the creation of lighter and less boxy-looking gadgets. Tuesday, 4 November 2008
A Dutch researcher, Robin Gremaud has demonstrated a breakthrough discovery that could smash one of the biggest hurdles standing in the way of a hydrogen economy – the weight of the heavy duty fuel tanks required to hold the gas. Gremaud has shown that a lightweight alloy of the metals magnesium, nickel and titanium is fantastic at storing hydrogen and offers an alternative to the hydrogen sponge also in development. Friday, 3 October 2008
There are many arguments for and against the use of hydrogen as a fuel for vehicles. One of the biggest obstacles that has prevented the gas from becoming commonplace is storage. As a gas, hydrogen is very energy dense but requires heavy, thick-walled tanks to contain it. Liquified, its energy density plummets to a quarter of that of petrol. Scientists think the solution lies in nano-engineered sponges. Tuesday, 16 September 2008
Ideas that make our recreational activities more accessible are always welcome, as they help with our increasingly spontaneous lifestyles. We just want to get out there and have some fun and hours spent setting up and packing away equipment is such a drag. Cue the Pathfinder amphibious vehicle concept, which aims to do for boating what the Flyke does for paragliding. Wednesday, 6 August 2008
Nissan have unveiled their new prototype electric vehicle which comes equipped with batteries that are twice as powerful as those in use today. The boxy-looking car also features a new motor, delivering 80kW (105 hp) of power for quick acceleration. The batteries were developed in partnership with NEC and use advanced lithium-ion technology, offering twice the power of nickel-metal hydride batteries in current electric vehicles. They are stored under the floor of the vehicle to maximize interior space. Nissan wants in on the electric car market and is aiming to be industry leader, despite a very slow start. They plan to begin selling an electric vehicle in both Japan and the U.S. in 2010 and the rest of the world in 2012. Nissan have also unveiled a hybrid vehicle with numerous innovations to improve on efficiency such as a parallel-powertrain. The hybrid will launch alongside the electric model in 2010. They are clearly taking the low/zero-emission market very seriously and are working on the development of a hydrogen fuel-cell car to round out their offerings. Wednesday, 23 July 2008
The U.S. Army has contracted the most unlikely of companies to make its latest weaponry, a U.S. toy manufacturer. The L.L.C. called Lund and Company makes patented hydrogen-powered toy rockets which have inspired the idea for a Variable Velocity Weapon System (VWS). The system is reminiscent of a Star Trek phaser with its stun/kill settings. The aim is to produce a weapon that can be used in all kinds of conflicts from battlefield to crowd control. It could be armed with rubber bullets to deliver bruises or lethal rounds to deliver death. The system functions by mixing air with a gaseous or liquid fuel in a combustion chamber positioned behind the bullet. The mixture determines the velocity of the bullet which can range from a weak, non-lethal shot from just 10 meters away to a powerful, deadly shot at over 100 meters. This new method of propelling a bullet may someday become standard in many guns. It produces less light and heat and can be made lighter than traditional guns. The system can also be scaled to suit a gun of any size. According to Lund and Company, a demonstration version could be ready in as little as six months and could go into production within 18 months of gaining approval. Sources: Monday, 21 July 2008
Designer Daniel Bailey has taken the folding car concept to a new level with his BRB Evolution, which looks like a Lamborghini when in driving mode, but is as compact as an upright Dyson when parked. The foldable design manages to cut the original size of the car in half to squeeze into the tiniest of parking spaces. Apparently the car rolls itself up once you’ve exited and uses two rollers to slide the car in sideways. As you can see in the pictures below the styling is sleek and sexy, inspired by the Lamborghini Murcielago and the Peugeot 908. The car would use a hydrogen fuel cell for power and feature a 180 degree moon roof. It’s a fascinating concept that essentially jacks the car up onto its nose to minimize its use of parking space. The transformation would have to be fast, I’d imagine, not just for convenience but in order to get the car out of the lane so that traffic doesn’t start backing up behind you.
Thursday, 17 July 2008
It would be a scary future indeed if we found a giant dyson hurtling towards us each time we try to cross the road. That’s exactly what designer Ashley Cichocki has in mind with his M.01 concept car that folds in on itself when stationary to maximize parking space. The design utilizes super stretchy fabrics over a pneumatic skeleton to facilitate the strange morphing action, which reminds me a lot of BMW’s GINA Light Visionary Model. At speed, the body stretches out to provide more stability and contracts to squeeze into a parking space as small as two meters. As with most car concepts these days, it is designed to be environmentally friendly and would run on hydrogen from a tank stashed in the rear of the body. More images below.
Friday, 27 June 2008
A new design for Peugeot has been unveiled which could be the most ‘out there’ vehicle design to date. Introducing the Ozone concept vehicle. Shaped like a drain pipe, yet strangely beautiful. It runs on hydrogen fuel-cells, naturally. The cabin is positioned between two giant wheels (don’t know how well they would steer) which are each controlled by their own electric motor. The body is equipped with doors that slide 360 degrees into its own frame which is impressive enough on its own. Steering is handled via a joystick which if I remember correctly, Mercedes was experimenting with about a decade ago. More pics below.
Wednesday, 25 June 2008
Suzuki has announced the development of its SX4-FCV fuel-cell vehicle which will soon begin road tests as it progresses towards commercialization. It can reportedly run for 250km per hydrogen charge at speeds of up to 150km/h. The vehicle has just been certified by Japan’s Minister of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism (MLIT). The SX4-FCV features a General Motors (GM) fuel cell module, a downsized light capacitor and a 70MPa high-pressure hydrogen tank. The body is the same as that on Suzuki’s SX4 compact car. The fuel-cell vehicle will be on show at the G8 (Hokkaido Toyako) summit alongside Japan’s Zero Emission House. Source: | SUBSCRIBE:  Stay up to date! Get Mark's Technology News updates via RSS Or, grab your updates via email. Your email address: Compare Prices with Twenga Top Sections ARCHIVES: RECENT COMMENTS: MTN Is Listed At: | |
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